LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The head of the company that makes Bratz fashion dolls said he would be willing to share a portion of royalties from the first generation of Bratz dolls with rival Mattel Inc. to settle a lengthy legal dispute, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday on its Web site.
Isaac Larian, chief executive officer of MGA Entertainment Inc., told the newspaper he was "open to all different options as long as they are reasonable" but dismissed a full transfer of the doll rights to Mattel.
"It's in the interest of MGA employees and Mattel shareholders that we reach a settlement on the issue," he said. "I prefer to move on and compete" in the toy market.
The Wall Street Journal reported that in an initial interview Larian suggested he would be willing to share a portion of future Bratz royalties with Mattel, but in a later interview clarified that he would only be willing to consider a settlement in which Mattel would receive a share of royalties from the initial line of Bratz dolls in 2001.
The newspaper said that in the subsequent interview, Larian insisted his company wasn't willing to talk about sharing future revenues from the doll line as part of a settlement.
"Mattel has been open to good faith settlement discussions, and we are continuing to participate in this process as directed by the court," Mattel said in a statement.
A jury last month awarded Mattel $100 million in damages in its copyright infringement lawsuit against MGA.
Mattel contended the Bratz doll was conceived by one of its employees who later took the idea to MGA. The jury's award didn't deal with future revenues for the doll line.
U.S. District Judge Stephen G. Larson has put a stay on the case so attorneys could talk about a settlement.
Larian said before the trial began he wouldn't settle with Mattel under any terms.
He told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday he plans to continue with his claim that Mattel made products that too closely resemble Bratz.
